Luke 8:26–39
Famed Indian evangelist Prakash Yesudian once said that our prayers are becoming more like shopping lists or begging bowls. If we evaluate our prayer life in the light of that statement, it reveals a sobering reality. We pray for healing. Sometimes we are healed, and sometimes we are not. During those unanswered moments, what is our attitude towards God? In fact, one survey found that the number one reason people leave the Christian faith is unanswered prayer. We often assume that prayer exists so that our will may be done. But is that right? Is that biblical?
Luke 8 contains one of the most surprising lessons on prayer in the Gospels. In one incident alone, five different requests are made to Jesus. Surprisingly, Jesus does not answer them all the same way. As we watch these requests unfold, we discover that the real issue is not whether God says yes or no — but whether our prayers are aligned with his will.
The Maniac Who Became a Missionary
Luke 8 records a series of miracles demonstrating Jesus’ authority over demons, disease, and death. Disease and death entered the world through the rebellion, and Jesus now shows he has authority to reverse them. His encounter with a demon-possessed man also announces his authority over the unseen spiritual realm. This man was haunted by demons in staggering numbers — Legion, which in Roman military terms referred to nearly six thousand soldiers — indicating the overwhelming grip evil had over his life. He was naked, violent, living among the tombs, hurting himself and terrifying everyone around him.
Yet after meeting Jesus, he was cleansed, clothed, and commissioned.
John MacArthur aptly titles this account: The Maniac Who Became a Missionary.
In this one passage, five prayers are uttered by three different groups of people. Jesus answers all five. But not in the same way.
Prayers One, Two and Three — The Demons
The first three requests come from the demons who had made this man’s life a living hell.
When they saw Jesus, they immediately recognised him as the Son of the Most High God. They first begged him not to torment them (v. 28). Then they begged him not to send them into the abyss (v. 31) — that place of final judgment they knew they deserved. Finally, they pleaded with him to permit them to enter a nearby herd of pigs. Mark tells us there were around two thousand of them.
Surprisingly, Jesus granted their request.
The demons entered the pigs. The entire herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
One truth immediately stands out.
Evil never builds. It only destroys.
Look again at the man before he met Jesus. Naked. Chained. Living among the tombs. Wounded by himself and dangerous to others. That is Satan’s work — always and only destruction. Jesus was absolutely right when he said:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10, NRSV)
If we allow evil to control us, the prayers that flow out of us will also move in the direction of destruction. Some justify destructive prayers by appealing to the imprecatory psalms of the Old Testament. But Jesus has relocated us. In the New Testament he teaches us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us. Peter echoes it directly: “Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9, NRSV)
Prayer Four — The Crowd
The fourth request comes from the people of the region.
When the herdsmen reported what had happened, the entire crowd came out. They saw the former demoniac sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind. They heard the full testimony of what had taken place. They understood exactly what had happened.
And then they made a calculation.
One piglet in today’s market costs approximately ₹5,250. Two thousand pigs amounts to roughly one crore five lakh rupees — around USD 110,000. A devastating economic loss. They saw one restored human being sitting before them. But they also saw their financial future sinking into the lake.
So they made their request. They asked Jesus to leave.
“Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.” (Luke 8:37, NRSV)
They chose economic security over the presence of Christ. They valued pigs more than a person. Wealth blinded them to grace. They preferred the transactional power of money to the transformational power of Jesus.
Even to this request, Jesus said yes. He got into the boat and left.
Jesus had already warned that the worries of this life and the lure of wealth choke the Word of God until it becomes unfruitful. Whenever money occupies the throne, Christ is quietly asked to leave. Sadly, much of what passes for Christian teaching today — prosperity theology, name-it-claim-it preaching — is producing congregations whose prayers are indistinguishable from the crowd on that shore. Praying for more. And missing the one standing right in front of them.
Prayer Five — The Healed Man
The fifth and final request comes from the man Jesus had just restored.
He begged to remain with Jesus (v. 38). Who could blame him? The people around him had just valued pigs above his transformation. Staying close to Jesus seemed like the only safe place to be.
But this time Jesus answered differently.
No.
Instead he said:
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39, NRSV)
Instead of allowing him to remain in the safety of his company, Jesus sent him back to his own people. He was a brand-new believer. He had little theological training. No ministry track record. No credentials. Yet Jesus entrusted him with a mission.
Jesus understood something profound.
The weakest inside witness is often stronger than the strongest outside witness.
The man obeyed. He went throughout the Decapolis — ten cities — proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. His request was denied. But God’s purpose was fulfilled through him in ways neither he nor anyone watching could have anticipated.
Dr. E. Stanley Jones captured this truth with precision:
“Prayer is not bending God to my will but bringing my will into conformity with God’s, so that God’s will may work in and through me.”
The healed man is the best illustration of that sentence ever recorded. He came with his own request. He left with God’s assignment. And the Decapolis heard about Jesus because of it.
Five Prayers. Three Answers.
In one miracle story, Jesus answered five requests.
To the demons, he said yes. To the frightened crowd, he said yes. To the healed man, he said no.
Three different answers. One perfect will.
Prayer is not about persuading God to fulfil our plans. Prayer is about allowing God to align our hearts with his purposes.
The healed man discovered that when his will aligned with God’s, something extraordinary happened — God worked both in him and through him.
So here is the question worth sitting with today:
Are my prayers helping to align with God’s will?
Nice Article annan. God bless you.